


As the Universe Goes By

by dragonwings948



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Feels, Friendship, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-20 14:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21283415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948
Summary: Romana has a concerning nightmare that she needs to discuss with the Doctor.
Relationships: Fourth Doctor & Romana II
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	As the Universe Goes By

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of those fics that I wrote forever ago in one go and then I 100% forgot that I wrote it until I found it months later XD 
> 
> Anyway, I’m pretty much constantly emotional about Four and Romana so. Yeah. Here you go! Enjoy! :)

_ Trapped.  _

Romana knew it immediately as she awoke. The air was stale, her limbs were cramped. She opened her eyes and took a moment to orient herself, as she was in the middle of deep space. Planets and stars revolved around her, some close enough for her to see the colour of the surface. It was like she was suspended in mid-air. 

She stretched out her arm, and before she could straighten it completely her fingers came into contact with something solid. She flattened her hand against an invisible wall. She started to sit up, only to realise that something was hitting the ceiling before her head could come within inches of it. 

That’s when she realised she was wearing traditional time lord robes. She touched her shoulders and confirmed that she was wearing the shoulder and neck pieces as well; that’s what had run into the ceiling. 

The cloth seemed to wrap itself tightly around her as she became aware of it. Her hearts beat faster, her breaths puffed out shorter. She pressed her palms against all six walls of her cube-shaped prison, but nothing gave. 

Something from outside caught Romana’s gaze. A blue streak flew past her, heading for the nearest planet. 

The TARDIS. 

“Doctor!” she yelled, pounding against the invisible walls. “Doctor! Help!” She knew it was a fruitless effort, but for some reason she still called. 

Her robes began to constrict around her neck, cutting off her yells. Romana clutched at the fabric, but was unable to shift it. All she could do was watch as the universe went by while she remained hopelessly stuck in a box, being suffocated by her destiny as a time lord.

* * *

Romana shot up, gasping in a lungful of precious air. She pulled bedsheets away from her throat where she had tangled them up in her sleep. She massaged her neck, calming down her breathing. It had only been a nightmare. 

But she knew it could very well become a reality. 

Every thought of sleep abandoned, Romana got out of bed and dressed for the next adventure. She wondered if the Doctor was ready to go yet or if he was still tinkering with K-9.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, for a moment she saw herself in time lord robes like in her dream. She shook the thought away and walked out of her room. 

The console room was empty when she got there. Not even K-9, or parts of him, could be found. 

Romana frowned. She could pilot the TARDIS to their next destination, if she wanted to, but she was curious about the Doctor’s whereabouts and where he had taken K-9. 

She searched a few rooms before coming to the library. As she opened the door, she heard the Doctor’s cheery voice boom out: “Are you sure you want to do that, K-9?” 

Romana heard a whir and knew that K-9’s ears were rotating. “I am sure, Master.” 

Romana smiled and walked inside, greeted by a roaring fire that, as far as she knew, never went out. In front of the fireplace were the Doctor and K-9, an old wooden chess board between them. 

“Back at it again?” she asked. 

“Romana!” the Doctor beamed a wide grin at her. “You’re just in time to witness my triumph!” 

K-9’s eyeplate flashed red. “Negative! Probability of your victory is 1 to 1,000 against.” 

Romana giggled as the Doctor’s face fell. “What?” He examined the chess board. “Impossible! I think you’re leading me on.” 

“You are aware that this unit can not lie, Master.” 

As they continued their game, Romana wandered to the nearest shelf and picked up a weathered book:  _ Quantum Physics for Beginners.  _ She flipped through it and shrugged.  _ Quantum Physics for Babies  _ would be a more accurate title. 

“Is everything all right, Romana?” 

It took a moment for her to comprehend that the Doctor was actually asking about her wellbeing. She looked up from the book and found that he was still occupied with the chess game. 

“Of course.” She slipped the book back on the shelf. “Why do you ask?” 

The Doctor didn’t answer for a few moments, biting his lip as he stared intensely at the board. Finally he announced his move and glanced up at her. “Your sleep cycle’s usually a bit longer, that’s all.” 

Romana shrugged. “I wasn’t as tired as I thought I was.” 

K-9’s ears spun. “Scans show signs of recent stress, Mistress. Heart rates are slightly elevated.” 

She crossed her arms, levelling a glare at the metal dog. “Thank you, K-9,” she said icily. 

“It is my job to look after you, Mistress.” K-9’s tail wagged, and Romana sighed. Who could stay mad at him long? 

“I know.” She patted his head fondly. 

The Doctor hummed. “Nightmare?” 

“It wasn’t much.” She sat down beside the Doctor and looked at the chess board. K-9 was right; it would take a miracle for the Doctor to win at this point. 

It was silent for a while, except for the occasional announcements of moves by the two chess players. Romana thought about her dream again, and was unable to focus on the game. Therefore, she jumped when the Doctor exclaimed, 

“Ha! Mate in two moves.” 

K-9 did a sort of nod, and Romana got the sense he was laughing at the Doctor. “Check mate, Master.” 

The Doctor’s mouth fell open. Then he huffed, and his hands fell into his lap. “You know, I think I’m getting rather tired of this game.”

“Don’t be such a sore loser, Doctor.” 

But he continued on as if he hadn’t heard her. “Go ahead and power down, K-9.” 

K-9 grew very still, but then, with a note of regret in his voice, said, “Powering down.” In a moment, his eyes were dark. 

“Insufferable dog,” the Doctor muttered. 

Romana chuckled and would have teased him about how he just couldn’t stand being beaten, but she found that she wasn’t really in the mood for their normal banter. 

“Doctor,” she ventured, “what do you think would happen if...if we never went back to Gallifrey?” She pointedly stared down at her hands, knowing that he would read her too well if she met his eyes.

“Never went back to Gallifrey?” he repeated, a note of surprise in his voice. “Wouldn’t you miss it?” 

“Do you?” she countered, deflecting the question. Of course she would miss Gallifrey; but was going back there worth missing the rest of the universe? 

Romana looked up just in time to see the Doctor’s eyes roll upwards in thought. 

“Oh…” The Doctor pursed his lips. “Now and then. But when I go back, I never seem to get to enjoy it.” 

“So you don’t regret leaving?” 

Mirth shone in his eyes as he set his probing gaze on her. “Do you?” 

“I didn’t have a choice.” She looked down again. 

“But you don’t want to go back.” 

Romana sighed. It was easier for him to say it for her than it would have been for her to say it herself. She considered the fear welling up inside her; not just aversion, but real, cold  _ fear.  _ “They always painted you as reckless back at home, you know. I thought you were insane, throwing away the laws of time to wander all over the universe. It seemed so pointless.” 

“Yes, they would say that, wouldn’t they?” 

“But now I understand why.” She met his eyes for a moment and saw a rare look of sincerity in his expression. For once, he was actually listening. “Travelling with you has made me realise that I don’t want to be trapped on Gallifrey.” Oh, if her old Academy professors could hear her now… “What good are books and knowledge if you have no way to apply them?” 

The Doctor smiled warmly. “I’ve turned you into a rebel, Romana.” But then the look faded, replaced with concern. “But you know you have to go back. We can’t avoid Gallifrey forever.” 

Romana recalled the robes suffocating her, the way she had been trapped in her prison while she watched the rest of the universe thrive. Her hearts sank. She resisted the urge to shift closer to him. Though she’d never admit it in a million years, one of the things she’d miss the most was him, infuriating as he was sometimes. 

Romana sighed and stood, pushing the nightmare from her mind once and for all. “Then I hope we can avoid home for a very long time.” 


End file.
